Post #2295500

2026-03-13 02:06 UTC

@quixote@mastodon.nz Double disagree, and I cite plain old physics as my evidence. The penalty for wind resistance goes up by the *cube* of vehicle speed and 80 is where it really starts to kick in. The safety aspect is undeniable and that, too, is physics. I'd love to see 30 as the top speed in residential and built-up urban areas. Yes, we've got shit drivers, but a human hit by a car going 30 will almost always survive. 50 is a crapshoot. We're not going to have a car-free society overnight. Not for at least 52 days, that is.

Replies (1)

@quixote@mastodon.nz 2026-03-13 02:20

@phil_stevens@mastodon.nz Yeah, I take your point, and you're definitely not wrong. (Have you seen that animation of the amount of destruction caused by a bus crashing at ever-greater speeds?) The problem is that lowering speed limits strikes me as the least effective and most annoying option. Plus it's cheapest, so much loved by transit authorities. And it's a revenue stream for them. What I'd like to see is changes to the roads, such as narrower lanes for cars to accommodate barrier-separated cycle lanes and walkways. The design of the road should enforce the limit, not just a well-meaning sign. But, yeah, costs more short term. "We're not going to have a car-free society overnight. Not for at least 52 days, that is." So true! 😂

Open ##2295501